Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory that makes her the brightest kid in her school. Unfortunately, her teachers and doctors don’t believe she can even learn. Unable to talk, walk, or write, she longs to tell what she thinks and knows. Trapped inside her own mind, she finally discovers how to “speak.” And yet some may not be ready to hear her voice.

Because of Mr. Terupt

It's the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There's Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who's having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school. Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all.

Wonder

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school - until now. He’s about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?R. J. Palacio has crafted an uplifting novel full of wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes, and writing that shines with spare emotional power.

Rules

Catherine, a 12-year-old girl with big responsibilities, loves her autistic younger brother David and makes lists of rules she thinks will help him get by. But she often feels that her parents, focused on special care for David, forget that she exists, too.

Shingaling: A Wonder Story

A story about life as a fifth grader at Beecher Prep through the eyes of Charlotte, the girl who had been chosen to be Auggie's "welcome" buddy. Listeners will not only learn more about Charlotte and her budding friendship with fan-favorite, Summer (they solve a mystery together), but how the girls at Beecher Prep react to Auggie attending their school for the first time.

The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story

Over one million people have read or listened to and loved Wonder. Now listeners will have a chance to hear from the one of the book's most controversial characters - Julian. From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in Wonder, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie's story through six different viewpoints, Julian's perspective was never shared. Fans could only guess what he was thinking. Until now.

Fish in a Tree

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of.

Pluto: A Wonder Story

Christopher was Auggie's best friend from the time they were babies until his family moved away; he was there through all of Auggie's surgeries and heartbreaks, through bad times and good--like Star Wars marathons and dreams of traveling to Pluto together. Alternating between childhood flashbacks and the present day, an especially bad day for Christopher, Pluto is the story of two boys grown apart learning that good friendships are worth a little extra effort.

Mr. Terupt Falls Again: Mr. Terupt, Book 2

Fifth grade was full of unforgettable events for Mr. Terupt and his class at Snow Hill School. Seven students were particularly affected by Mr. Terupt. Now those seven students are back, and they've been granted the rare opportunity to spend one more year with their beloved teacher before they graduate from elementary school. It's a roller coaster of a year as Mr. Terupt helps his students be the best they can be - and enlists their help to pull off an extra-special project. But will there be a happy ending for all?

The One and Only Ivan

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Mockingbird

In Mockingbird—a poignant gem by acclaimed author Kathryn Erskine—a talented young artist struggles to overcome a disability. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, 10-year-old Caitlin faces a range of social and emotional challenges. The unexpected death of her caring brother makes matters even worse, but will the memory of his words of wisdom and the help of a compassionate counselor be enough to enable her to connect with others?

Counting by 7s

Willow Chance is a 12-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life...until now. Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

The Fourteenth Goldfish

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough...he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?

Ungifted

Teens and pre-teens flock to any new offering from New York Times best-selling author Gordon Korman. Told through multiple viewpoints, Ungifted follows Donovan Curtis through his year at a magnet school for gifted and talented kids. Thanks to an administrative foul-up, the decidedly mediocre student Donovan finds himself enrolled in the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. Out of place and out of luck, Donovan joins the robotics team. And while he learns a few lessons from his gifted classmates, he also teaches a few of his own.

When You Reach Me

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Ortega possesses all the treasures a young girl in Aguascalientes, Mexico could want. But a sudden tragedy shatters that dream, forcing Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. There they confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. Pam Munoz Ryan eloquently portrays the Mexican workers' plight in this abundant and passionate novel.

Maniac Magee

He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.

Rain Reign

Rose Howard has OCD, Asperger's syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose's father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose's father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn't have much patience for his special-needs daughter.

Hatchet

Newbery Award-winner Gary Paulsen's best-known book comes to audio in this breathless, heart-gripping drama about a boy pitted against the wilderness with only a hatchet and a will to live. On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.

Schooled

Capricorn Anderson has spent his entire life on a farm with his hippie grandmother. After an accident puts Grandma in the hospital, Cap is forced to attend Claverage Middle School and live with his guidance counselor. The tradition at Claverage is for students to nominate the biggest nerd for class president, and Cap is the obvious choice. But with his odd ways and positive outlook, Cap just might turn the joke upside down by becoming the best class president ever.

Circus Mirandus

Even though his awful great-aunt Gertrudis doesn't approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other - the Man Who Bends Light. Finally Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The circus is real. And the lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative game maker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route.

Hoot

Roy's family moves a lot, so he's used to the new-kid drill. Florida bullies are pretty much like bullies everywhere. But Roy finds himself oddly indebted to the hulking Dana Matherson. If Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is the first interesting thing Roy's seen in Florida.

Walk Two Moons

In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.

The Westing Game

One fateful day, 16 people gather for the reading of the will of the very rich Samuel W. Westing. To their surprise, the will turns out to be a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them is Westing's murderer. Only two people hold all the clues. One is a Westing heir...and the other is the listener!

Publisher's Summary

From Coretta Scott King Award winner and ALA Best Book honoree Sharon M. Draper comes Out of My Mind, a compelling tale of heartache and hope.

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory that makes her the brightest kid in her school. Unfortunately, her teachers and doctors don’t believe she can even learn. Unable to talk, walk, or write, she longs to tell what she thinks and knows. Trapped inside her own mind, she finally discovers how to “speak.” And yet some may not be ready to hear her voice.

As a person with Cerebral Palsy, I could relate to the main character as I listened to this book. I too had the same difficulties being accepted from my peers when I was growing up. The doctors also told my parents that it would be too hard for them to raise me and it would be best to put me in a home. I too speak through a communication device and exceeded in school by being mainstream.

The author really did her homework at what is like being disable, the embarrassment that one might face due to their disability and being socially accepted. I can only guess that Sharon Draper got her motivation from her own personal experience. Maybe she has a friend who is disable or a family member who has Cerebral Palsy, because "Out of My Mind" was very accurate from what it is like to be handicap.

One cannot be this well informed, just by spending time at a hospital or in a group home. They must be involved in the individual lives to understand at what they are going through. My friends and family could had wrote this book about me.

The author did an excellent job at explaining what it like to have Cerebral Palsy without the medical terms.

This book was an easy read and I am grateful this title is out there for everyone to enjoy and be educated.

Read this at the request of my daughter, and very glad I did. Wonderful narrative that evokes a spectrum of emotion and really makes you think. Four stars instead of five only because I thought it ended a little too abruptly - felt a bit unfinished.

This is an enchanting & thoughtful book. The narrator is absolutely perfect for Melody & that makes the story even better. It makes you think about how you live your life, what you can do & how you do it. A must listen!

Retired CFO, Army wife, Mom of five, Grandma of six, two sons who served in combat, love to read books that reflect my values and faith, love mysteries, historical, military stories, and books that don't waste my time . . . if it doesn't have an ending that was worth the wait, I'm not a happy camper.

As the mom of a child with autism, a child who HAS NEVER spoken, I found this book to be refreshing. People make so many assumptions about kids who are "different". Other kids are cruel, condescending, patronizing, or completely ignore handicapped children. This story is told by Melody, the eleven-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, beginning with her earliest memories. It gives hope to all parents who have wondered, "what is really going on inside that brain?" It exposes the preconceived ideas that society has about "these kids" and their strange behaviors. I loved the fact that the book portrays Melody's parents and normal little sister, Penny, with all their day-to-day problems, trying to work and make a living, with the bickering and stresses that come from raising a "special" kid. This is a book for middle schoolers, parents, teachers and administrators, and anyone who has a heart for kids.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who works with special needs children. It will give you a new understanding of their thinking which in some cases you might not think exists. It changed my thinking! This book was written with so much compassion and understanding - it totally amazed me. I am a school librarian and every time I read a teaser of this book at least three students will ask to take it out. Thank you Ms. Draper for writing this book!

This story is told in the voice of a 5th grade girl and Sisi Johnson gets it absolutely right. I highly recommend this as a great book for a family, or especially for young people in grades 4 and up. The author helps you to see the world through the eyes of a disabled child who is very intelligent but can't speak--and it can really change the way people see and treat others with disabilities.

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